MotoGP: Pol Espargaro, Vinales Fastest On Third Day Of Moto2/Moto3 Testing At Jerez

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ASPAR Team continue improvements with new clutch after a marathon day on track

Blue skies made for perfect conditions for the final full day of Moto2 preseason testing at Jerez today, where only two brief delays caused by red flags interrupted an otherwise relentless day of hard work. Lap times in the intermediate category continue to fall although they are still not on pace with the last test here Jerez back in February. Today's pacesetter was Pol Espargaró, followed by Nakagami and Simón, with no fewer than six Spanish riders in the top ten.

No doubt both ASPAR Team riders will be looking forward to their beds tonight after a marathon day of tests. Nico Terol completed 69 laps and Jordi Torres 72, both putting together a string of short bursts as they looked to improve the performance of their machines, specifically in terms of rear grip and their new clutch systems. Both riders ended the day feeling satisfied with the job done, having both clocked their best times in the exclusive Moto2 session. Terol was the fifth fastest rider on track with a time of 1'43.438, with Torres an encouraging seventh fastest.

5th Nico Terol 1.43.438 (69 laps): "I'm grateful for the good weather today because we really needed some dry testing time. We had to work on the engine braking but we still have work to do to improve corner entry. We have taken a big step today though and hopefully we can make that final 'click' tomorrow. Otherwise I am happy with our pace, which was comfortably in the mid 1'43s, and with the progress we made on the rear end, especially under acceleration. Every little step is making the bike easier to ride and I am sure we can still improve a lot more."

7th Jordi Torres 1.43.641 (72 laps): "We had a lot of work to do today because of yesterday's rain and it was all hands on deck from the first thing this morning. With the new engine we were struggling a little to get the bike stopped so we worked on that and in the break between the first session and the exclusive Moto2 session we tried to work it out and come up with some ideas. We improved the situation but were still getting some bouncing on the rear so we needed to work on that. We have done 72 laps today, tested a tonne of things and now we have a lot of options. Tomorrow we will try to pick the right ones and go even faster than today. I'm tired now but happy with the feeling we have found. Hopefully we can confirm it on the final day of the test tomorrow."

More, from a press release issued by Aspar Moto3 Team:

FOLGER ON PACE AS GRANADO SPRINGS A SURPRISE

MAPFRE Aspar Team's Brazilian youngster leaps into the top ten as his German team-mate remains in Moto3 top three

After a soaking wet day of testing yesterday the sun finally broke through at Jerez today, making for a dry and warm third day. Whilst the track started out damp it soon dried and the majority of riders were on track shortly after 11am. With this being the final full day of testing (the track opens for only a few hours tomorrow) it was a relentless day's work for the Moto3 teams, with Viñales setting the pace from Rins, Jonas Folger and Salom.

The MAPFRE Aspar Team enjoyed a positive day on both sides of the garage, with Folger's performance hardly a surprise but that of his Brazilian team-mate raising more than a few eyebrows. Whilst the more experienced German played around with settings and tyre combinations on his way to a best lap of 1'47.010, Eric Granado was just seven tenths off his pace, the rookie ending the day as the seventh fastest rider on track. Both riders tried their new Akrapovic exhaust systems today, reporting notable improvements on last year's kit.

3rd Jonas Folger 1.47.010 (48 laps): "We've had a great day today - everything we have tried has come off. We haven't made big changes because the base setting of the bike is already good but we tried the soft tyres as well as the medium compound, which we were able to set consistent times on even when they were well worn so that's positive for race distance. As well as being consistent we were also fast so I have to be satisfied with the job we have done here. We also tried the new exhaust, which is a big improvement on the old one, so that's another step forward. Tomorrow we will work on trying to get more feel from the front end in the middle of the corner."

7th Eric Granado 1.47.742 (71 laps): "Today went well. We started early so that we could get into a rhythm but the track was still damp so we had to wait a little. We tried a new exhaust this morning and I liked it. It gives the bike more acceleration although we still need to adjust the setting to it. We started dropping our lap times early on and managed to move up to seventh place by the end of the day, which I am happy with considering I am new to this championship. The good thing is that I set those lap times on my own and slowly I am starting to find my references. I want to thank the team for all their hard work in helping me adapt to this bike. It has been a tough day, with a lot of hard work, but it has been worth it."

More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing:

TATA PRADITA TIRED BUT HAPPY

Doni Tata Pradita spent a long day in the saddle today as he continued to rack up the laps at Jerez as part of his steep Moto2 learning curve. The Indonesian rider was tired after the final full day of preseason testing but happy that he is making progress and improving his feeling with the bike. He will aim to make use of the final few hours of track time available in tomorrow's half-day session in order to make further improvements ahead of the opening round of the season in Qatar on April 7th.

Doni Tata Pradita “I am tired but happy because gradually I am improving, the feeling with the bike is good and I couldn't be happier with the work being done by the team. We have a good base to work from when the season starts and everything is in place for us to do well.”

Ratthapark Wilairot looks like a new rider compared to last year and the Thai rider is ready to go into the new Moto2 season full of determination and confidence after the final full day of testing at Jerez today. 'Feem' again lapped consistently close to the pace set by the leading riders in the class and with just a few hours left of preseason in tomorrow's half-day session there is plenty of optimism in the garage that the upcoming campaign will be a successful one.

Ratthapark Wilairot “I am satisfied because we have been able to see notable progress from day to day. I feel like a different rider compared to last year and I am more convinced than ever of my potential. I want to keep this form going right through the championship now. My feeling with the bike is good and the great relationship with the team is feeding my desire to do well.”